NOVEL NEXT Chapter 149: Golden Armor Warrior, The Way To Enter Blue Cloud Sect
Chapter 149: Golden Armor Warrior, The Way To Enter Blue Cloud Sect
After arriving at the inner city, Lu Changsheng didn’t immediately start purchasing and processing the items on him.
Instead, he first found a large inn, booked a room, and changed into a new set of clothes.
After all, he had gained some experience from his time at Julong Market, so he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
At this time, Lu Changsheng also remembered the ‘Golden Armor Bean Mother’ in his system space.
Since he had been with Xiao Xiyue for a while, he hadn’t extracted it yet.
“Extract.”
Lu Changsheng opened his system space, and his spirit stirred slightly.
Immediately, a golden bean the size of a chicken egg appeared before him.
At the same time, detailed information about the ‘Golden Armor Bean Mother’ appeared in Lu Changsheng’s mind.
The Golden Armor Bean Mother could transform into a second-rank Golden Armor Warrior and could also be planted to cultivate spirit beans.
The information about this Golden Armor Warrior was similar to what he had previously guessed.
It was similar to puppets and demonic beasts.
Or, it was something between puppets and demonic beasts.
Compared to puppets, it had more autonomy.
It didn’t require spiritual control and could take simple orders to act.
But compared to demonic beasts, it had less autonomy.
It could only follow orders and didn’t have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
However, this Golden Armor Warrior didn’t consume spirit stones like puppets, nor did it need to eat and drink like demonic beasts. It could absorb and store spiritual energy on its own, and when it was depleted, it would slowly recover when placed in spiritual soil.
“This Golden Armor Warrior transformed by the Golden Armor Bean Mother has the strength of a late-second-rank warrior.”
“Even though it doesn’t have high autonomy and not many magical abilities, it’s equivalent to a high-quality second-rank puppet.”
“It wouldn’t be a problem facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the middle stage.”
Lu Changsheng now had a rough understanding of the Golden Armor Bean Mother’s combat power.
Its combat power was relatively single-minded.
It leaned towards close-range melee combat.
Similar to puppets.
If it went all out, ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would have a hard time defending against it.
“However, as I guessed, the main function of this Golden Armor Bean Mother is to cultivate and breed.”
Lu Changsheng’s face revealed a faint smile.
He understood the Golden Armor Bean Mother’s cultivation and breeding process.
It would take three years to sprout, three years to grow leaves, three years to bloom, and three years to produce beans.
In other words, it would take twelve years to complete one breeding cycle and produce fruit.
Each time, he could harvest five to ten Golden Armor Beans.
These Golden Armor Beans could all transform into Golden Armor Warriors.
However, their strength was not as high as the Golden Armor Bean Mother.
They only had the strength of a late-first-rank warrior.
Roughly equivalent to a high-quality first-rank puppet.
“Twelve years for one harvest, the cycle is a bit long.”
“And these Golden Armor Beans can’t be planted and bred like the Golden Armor Bean Mother.”
“Otherwise, I could build a Golden Armor Warrior army.”
Lu Changsheng felt a hint of regret in his heart.
When he had obtained the second-rank Puppetry Technique, he had thought of building a puppet army and using puppet naval warfare.
But the cost of building puppets was too high, and he needed to control them himself, so he had to give up.
However, these Golden Armor Beans could be cultivated, and as long as he gave simple orders, they could do tasks.
This made him think of this aspect again.
Unfortunately, these Golden Armor Beans also had flaws.
“If it’s not necessary, this Golden Armor Bean Mother can’t be used for battle.”
“Otherwise, it would be damaged, and it wouldn’t be able to produce beans, which would be a loss.”
“After all, the Golden Armor Warriors transformed from these Golden Armor Beans are extremely convenient, whether it’s for battle, cultivating spiritual fields, forging puppet parts, or doing simple tasks.”
“They don’t need human control, don’t need to eat or drink, and don’t need rest. As long as they have enough spiritual energy, they can work non-stop.”
“If they’re exhausted or damaged, as long as it’s not too severe, they can recover by being buried in spiritual soil and nurtured.”
Lu Changsheng muttered to himself.
He realized that this Golden Armor Bean Mother was not meant to transform into a Golden Armor Warrior for battle.
But rather, it was meant to continuously cultivate labor forces.
In the future, when he established his family, many things, such as the puppet factory he had envisioned, could be done by the Golden Armor Warriors transformed from the Golden Armor Beans.
“I wonder if I can extract another Dao Soldier like the Golden Armor Bean Mother.”
Lu Changsheng’s interest in Dao Soldiers increased.
He also prepared to visit the bookstore in Blue Cloud Market Town to see if there were any introductions to Dao Soldiers.
After putting the Golden Armor Bean Mother away in his spiritual pet bag, Lu Changsheng went out.
First, he visited two magical weapons shops and exchanged his unused magical weapons for spirit stones.
He got a total of 6,300 spirit stones for four high-quality magical weapons and three top-quality magical weapons.
These magical weapons were still in good condition, so he sold them.
As for the three spiritual weapons he had obtained from the red-clothed youth, Lu Changsheng didn’t sell them.
Now that he had broken through to Foundation Establishment, his magical weapons naturally needed to be updated.
The other party’s Forest White Flying Sword was not bad.
It was a medium-grade spiritual weapon.
So he kept it for himself.
The blood-colored scissors, although damaged, could still be used.
As for the Red Phoenix Cult bead, since it was the other party’s life-bound spiritual weapon, using it would greatly reduce its power.
But thinking that it was a life-bound spiritual weapon, it might be recognized by the other party’s acquaintances, so Lu Changsheng didn’t sell it, planning to deal with it later.
Next, Lu Changsheng inquired about the location of the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.
He changed into a new set of clothes and headed towards the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.
He had all the common materials needed for the Seven Stars Heart Lamp.
The remaining materials were relatively rare spiritual materials.
They were hard to find in ordinary shops.
He could only find them in large commercial halls or big shops.
Moreover, aside from buying materials for the Seven Stars Heart Lamp, Lu Changsheng also planned to buy a second-rank Talisman pen and materials for drawing second grade high-quality talismans.
At the peak of Qi Refining, he could only draw second grade low-level Talismans and barely managed to draw medium-level Talismans.
Now that he had broken through to Foundation Establishment, he could almost draw second grade high-quality talismans.
Naturally, you have to draw some Talismans to carry with you for self-defense.
“Welcome to Blue Cloud Commercial Hall. Do you need to buy or sell something?”
Lu Changsheng had just entered the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall when a beautiful female cultivator in a Blue Cloud Commercial Hall uniform approached him.
“Both,” Lu Changsheng replied casually.
The female cultivator led him to a seat, poured him a cup of tea, and asked, “What materials do you want to sell? Please let me take a look.”
Lu Changsheng took out a storage bag and placed it on the table. “I want to sell these materials. Please estimate the price.”
The female cultivator smiled politely and began to examine the materials. “Please wait a moment.”
After a while, she said respectfully, “Sir, I’ve estimated the price of the materials you want to sell. The total price is 3,391 spirit stones. How do you feel about it?”
“If you need to, I can list the price of each item for you.”
The female cultivator’s body was tightly wrapped in her uniform, accentuating her curves, making her extremely alluring.
“No need, I’ll just take this price,” Lu Changsheng nodded.
He had roughly estimated the value of the materials himself, which was around 5,000 spirit stones. But the value was one thing, and selling them was another.
It was hard to sell them, and buying them was also troublesome.
Places like Blue Cloud Commercial Hall usually bought materials at around 60-70% of their value.
“Alright, I’ll finalize the price for you,” the female cultivator said, taking out a storage bag and putting the materials away.
But she didn’t hurry to settle the spirit stones, instead asking, “You said you wanted to buy and sell. What do you need to buy?”
Lu Changsheng didn’t say much, just handed over a list.
The female cultivator took the list and looked at it, her eyes lighting up. She saw that it was a big deal.
She immediately took out a jade book and checked the inventory information of the materials on the list.
“Sir, I’ve checked, and we only have Starlight Sand, Heavenly Silk, Dragon Blood Soil, and Heavenly Silver.”
“We don’t have Seven-Color Copper and Earth Fire Stone at the moment. If you need them, we can help you purchase them.”
The female cultivator handed Lu Changsheng a jade book, which displayed the images of the materials he wanted to buy.
Below each image were the inventory, price, and introduction.
Starlight Sand, 1,000 spirit stones per two liang.
Heavenly Silk, 250 spirit stones per root.
Dragon Blood Soil, 530 spirit stones per portion.
Heavenly Silver, 100 spirit stones per two liang.
Lu Changsheng looked at the prices and couldn’t help but gasp.
The price of a low-grade spiritual weapon was around 3,000-4,000 spirit stones.
He was making a life-bound spiritual weapon, and the materials alone would cost nearly 10,000 spirit stones, making him feel a bit heartbroken.
“Five liang of Starlight Sand, nine roots of Heavenly Silk, two portions of Dragon Blood Soil, and one jin of Heavenly Silver,” Lu Changsheng said, sighing inwardly.
It was just that as his cultivation level increased, his expenses also increased.
If he didn’t have his second-rank Puppetry Technique and occasional help from kind people, he wouldn’t be able to afford such expenses.
“Alright, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll go get the materials for you,” the female cultivator said politely.
“Show me the second-rank Talisman pen you have here.”
Lu Changsheng continued,
“A second-rank Talisman pen?”
The female cultivator was surprised.
“I didn’t expect you to be a Talisman master, I apologize for the mistake.”
She immediately took out a jade book and quickly flipped to the page with the second-rank Talisman pen.
She introduced the various Talisman pens to Lu Changsheng.
A second-rank low-grade Talisman pen was around 3,000 spirit stones.
A second-rank medium-grade Talisman pen was around 5,000 spirit stones.
A second-rank high-quality Talisman pen was around 10,000 spirit stones.
A second-rank top-quality Talisman pen was around 15,000 spirit stones.
“Wow, it’s really expensive,”
Lu Changsheng said, shaking his head.
He had previously bought a first-rank top-quality Talisman pen for only 1,400 spirit stones.
This second-rank top-quality Talisman pen was more than ten times more expensive.
“I’ll take a second-rank high-quality ‘Qingyun’ Talisman pen,”
Lu Changsheng said, after briefly looking at the introductions of the various Talisman pens.
It cost 9,800 spirit stones.
He had originally planned to buy a second-rank top-quality Talisman pen, but it was too expensive.
Buying a second-rank high-quality Talisman pen would not only save him from having to buy another Talisman pen later, but it would also make it easier to draw second-rank top-quality Talismans.
He didn’t expect second-rank Talisman pens to be so expensive.
Mainly because when Xiao Xiyue had broken through to Foundation Establishment, Lu Changsheng had used up more than 80 medium-grade spirit stones to supplement her spiritual energy.
That was equivalent to 8,000 spirit stones.
Leaving him with only around 10,000 spirit stones after selling his magical weapons and materials today.
And he still needed to buy materials to draw second-rank Talismans.
“Yes, sir, I’ll go get it for you,” the female cultivator said, seeing that Lu Changsheng was buying so many materials and a second-rank high-quality Talisman pen.
She was very happy to have encountered a big customer and said respectfully.
After all, as a receptionist, she also had a commission.
“No hurry, Blue Cloud Commercial Hall should also accept second-rank Talismans, right?” Lu Changsheng continued.
Now that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the second-rank low-grade Talismans on him were no longer very useful.
He could consider selling some of them to exchange for spirit stones.
After all, he needed to have some spirit stones on hand for emergencies.
It’s impossible to spend all the spirit stones at once.
Moreover, he was planning to visit other shops to see if they had the Seven-Color Copper and Earth Fire Stone he needed.
“This is naturally acceptable.”
The female cultivator smiled and nodded.
After a pause, she spoke in a sweet and gentle tone: “However, our Blue Cloud Commercial Hall only purchases high-quality Talismans. If the quality of the Talisman is poor, we won’t purchase it.”
“Let’s take a look at the quality of this Talisman.”
Lu Changsheng took out ten low-grade, second-rank Talismans.
“Please, esteemed elder, rest in the VIP room while I call someone to appraise the Talismans.”
The female cultivator received the Talismans and spoke thus.
“Alright.”
Lu Changsheng nodded.
He knew that these attendants were just ordinary cultivators.
It was already impressive that they could recognize and appraise many heavenly materials.
Letting them appraise the second-rank Talismans would be a bit difficult.
He followed the attendant to the VIP room on the second floor to wait.
Before long, a 56-year-old old man with gray hair and a spirited demeanor, accompanied by the female attendant, arrived at the VIP room.
“This Hu is the manager of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce. I saw that the talismans sold by the fellow Daoist are all top-quality, so I took the liberty to come and pay my respects to you.”
The old man bowed to Lu Changsheng.
“Manager Hu, you’re too kind.”
Lu Changsheng also bowed slightly and said: “In that case, I suppose your esteemed commercial hall will purchase these Talismans.”
“Of course, we’ll purchase as many of these high-quality Talismans as you have.”
“And we’re willing to pay 7.5 times the market price.”
Manager Hu smiled and said.
“7.5 times the market price.”
Lu Changsheng nodded and said: “Then, thank you, Manager Hu.”
He knew that Blue Cloud Commercial Hall usually purchased Talismans at 6 times the market price. At most, they would pay 7 times the market price. So, this 7.5 times the market price was already a good deal.
“Besides the ten Talismans I showed you earlier, I have 15 more Talismans here. Manager Hu, would you like to take a look?”
Lu Changsheng took out 15 more low-grade, second-rank Talismans and said.
He had a total of 59 low-grade, second-rank Talismans on him, but he wasn’t in a hurry to sell them all at once.
Moreover, he felt that Manager Hu’s visit wasn’t just a simple courtesy call.
“Let me take a look.”
Manager Hu received the 15 Talismans and examined them carefully.
They were all high-quality, premium Talismans.
“These 15 Talismans, along with the previous 10, are all high-quality. According to the market price, they’re worth 14,000 spirit stones. At 7.5 times the market price, our commercial hall is willing to pay 7,900 spirit stones.”
“What do you think, esteemed Lu?”
Manager Hu asked.
“No problem, thank you, Manager Hu.”
Lu Changsheng nodded upon hearing this.
The price of these low-grade, second-rank Talismans was around 400 spirit stones on average.
Although his high-quality Talismans might be worth 10-20% more on the market, the price offered wasn’t unfair.
Moreover, each of these Talismans had cost him only 26 spirit stones.
So, even if he sold them at a slightly lower price, it was still a good deal.
“Do you have any other needs, friend?”
Manager Hu asked.
“I still need to purchase some materials for crafting Talismans.”
Lu Changsheng thought for a moment and said.
Manager Hu heard this and smiled, his eyes gleaming with understanding.
The female attendant, called Bi’er, took out a jade booklet and showed Lu Changsheng the second-rank Talisman materials.
Lu Changsheng then purchased 30 sets of second-rank ordinary, advanced, and premium Talisman papers, as well as 30 sets of spiritual ink. The total cost was 5,280 spirit stones.
“Fellow Daoist, I think you’re a second-rank Talisman master,” Manager Hu said with a smile. “I’m being bold and asking, do you have any intentions of joining a certain faction?”
“If not, would you be interested in becoming a guest elder of our Blue Cloud Commercial Hall? We’re always looking for talented individuals like yourself.”
Manager Hu invited Lu Changsheng to join the commercial hall, which was the real reason for his visit.
Through the second-rank Talismans Lu Changsheng had shown him earlier, Manager Hu had already guessed that Lu Changsheng was an exceptional Talisman master, at least a medium-grade second-rank Talisman master.
Seeing Lu Changsheng purchase so many Talisman materials, Manager Hu’s suspicions were confirmed, and he decided to extend the invitation directly.
“Oh? What are the responsibilities and benefits of becoming a guest elder of your commercial hall?” Lu Changsheng asked, curious.
Earlier, when Manager Hu had come to visit, Lu Changsheng had suspected that he wasn’t just making a courtesy call.
He hadn’t expected to be invited to join the commercial hall.
When he was at Julong Market, he had been asked about this by the attendants at Blue Cloud Commercial Hall and Myriad Treasures Pavilion, but he hadn’t revealed much, so no one had followed up.
Now, receiving the invitation again, he was curious about the benefits of joining Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.
“If you’re willing to become a guest elder of our commercial hall, you only need to create a batch of Talismans for us every month, or provide Talismans urgently when needed,” Manager Hu explained.
“As for the benefits, not only will you receive a high monthly salary, but you’ll also enjoy internal prices and discounts when purchasing items from us.”
“Moreover, if you need any materials, we can help you collect and purchase them.”
“Every year, we hold a grand festival, where you can exchange ideas and grow with many fellow cultivators in the same field.”
“You should know that our commercial hall is backed by Blue Cloud Sect.”
“If you make sufficient contributions to our commercial hall, we can recommend you to join Blue Cloud Sect.”
“In the sect, you’ll not only receive guidance from the core elders but also have the opportunity to be taken in as a disciple.”
Manager Hu spoke slowly and carefully.
Lu Changsheng’s eyebrows rose slightly as he listened to the benefits of joining Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.
Not only would he enjoy various benefits, but he would also have a chance to enter Blue Cloud Sect through this channel.
For many rogue cultivators, being able to join Blue Cloud Sect, an immortal sect, was a dream come true.
“I see, thank you for informing me, Manager Hu.”
“However, I don’t have any intentions of joining other factions for now.”
“I need to consider this carefully, and if I have any intentions, I’ll bother you again later.”
Lu Changsheng bowed slightly, his face apologetic.
In his opinion, joining Blue Cloud Commercial Hall, with its backing from Blue Cloud Sect, wasn’t a bad idea.
Not only would he have a strong backing, but collecting materials would also become much easier.
As for the responsibilities, creating a batch of Talismans every month wouldn’t be difficult for him, given his near-perfect success rate in crafting Talismans.
It would just require a bit more time and effort.
However, his current identity was fake, so he couldn’t join Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.
Perhaps when he revealed his true identity as a second-rank Talisman master, he could consider joining.
“This is acceptable, if you have any intentions, feel free to come find me anytime,” Manager Hu said, not disappointed.
This kind of thing was very normal.
Someone who could elevate a skill to this level must have been invited many times before.
It was possible that they were already working for some faction.
How could they just agree to join after one conversation?
What Manager Hu needed to do was to extend an invitation and leave a good impression.
He hoped that Lu Changsheng would consider Blue Cloud Commercial Hall when he had intentions of joining a faction.
“Esteemed Lu, this is your stuff.”
“In total, it’s 24,088 spirit stones. After deducting the cost of the materials and Talismans you sold, you still need to pay 13,589 spirit stones.”
At this time, the female attendant brought out the items Lu Changsheng had purchased and let him inspect them.
“Alright, no problem.”
Lu Changsheng checked the items in his storage bag and nodded.
“Esteemed Lu, you just need to pay 13,000 spirit stones.”
At this time, Manager Hu smiled and waived the remaining amount.
“Thank you, Manager Hu.”
Lu Changsheng heard this and knew that the other party was showing goodwill, so he thanked him immediately.
He paid the spirit stones and bid farewell.
After leaving Blue Cloud Commercial Hall, Lu Changsheng went to an inn and carefully checked his items.
Although a large shop like Blue Cloud Commercial Hall wouldn’t do such a thing, it was still necessary to be cautious.
After confirming that everything was in order, Lu Changsheng changed his disguise and prepared to visit other shops.
He wanted to see if he could purchase the Seven-Color Copper and Earth Fire Stone he needed.